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Trauma & Orthopaedics (North)  covers the Severn PGDME footprint.  

 

Severn Trauma and Orthopaedic Training 

The Trauma and Orthopaedic training programme is popular and has topped the GMC survey for overall trainee satisfaction in the last 2 years. We have an excellent registrars' group, known as BORG, that organises journal clubs, social/sporting events and an annual Christmas dinner and summer BBQ. Friday afternoon teaching is well attended and delivered and trainees have opportunities to present their work at a regional meeting twice a year. There are also links with centres in Ethiopia for trainees that would like to broaden their experience.  

During their time on the training programme, trainees will rotate through all of the following hospitals: 

  

  • Bristol Royal Children's Hospital - major trauma centre for paediatrics for the southwest. One of the largest paediatric centres in the country, with specialist services across the spectrum of orthopaedics from limb reconstruction to osteogenesis imperfects and skeletal dysplasia. 

  • Bristol Royal Infirmary - teaching hospital with adult trauma. Features the limb reconstruction unit and the orthopaedic hand surgeons in Bristol. 

  • Cheltenham and Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals  - Gloucester is one of the busiest trauma hospitals on rotation and features a previous winner of the silver scalpel (best UK surgical trainer) - Chris Curwen. Cheltenham is predominantly elective based. 

  • Great Western Hospital (Swindon) - unique hospital on rotation as it features trainees from Oxford and London rotations plus Severn. Features Mr Woods who is a silver scalpel winner and Mr Tasker who organises teaching. Has a large database to facilitate audit and research projects.  

  • Musgrove Park Hospital (Taunton) - another very popular district hospital with a particularly busy spinal unit and the full range of orthopaedic services, including paediatrics, provided. Rated as one of the friendliest units on rotation.  

  • Royal United Hospital (Bath) - busy district general hospital with a large trauma workload. Also has an extensive elective practice featuring upper limb, lower limb, and spine. 

  • Southmead (Bristol) - major trauma centre (adults) for the region. Also incorporates the Avon Orthopaedic Centre, the predominant Bristol elective practice. Jobs are split into either trauma or elective rotations. Features the Professorial Unit with outstanding research opportunities for trainees. 

  • Yeovil District Hospital - a smaller and very friendly, well organised unit on rotation that really looks after it’s trainees with a a full range of non-spinal elective orthopaedics provided. 

   

Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery 

Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery is a specialty dealing with injuries, congenital and acquired disorders of the bones, joints and their associated soft tissues, including ligaments, nerves and muscles. 

Most consultants contribute to an emergency trauma workload dealing with bony and soft tissue injuries admitted through their local A&E Departments. The vast majority of surgeons also have a specialist elective interest in orthopaedic conditions often based on an anatomical region of the body including the following: 

  • Lower limb joint reconstruction (hip and knee replacements and associated procedures) 

  • Hip surgery 

  • Knee surgery (bony and soft tissue) 

  • Ankle and foot 

  • Upper limb (shoulder and elbow) 

  • Upper limb (hands) 

  • Spine 

  • Bone tumour surgery 

  • The surgery of childhood 

  • Rheumatoid surgery 

  • Complex trauma surgery 

 

Some surgeons have very highly specialised practices in one of these areas and a few do not take part in general trauma surgery. 

The award of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) occurs at the completion of training once the Trainee has demonstrated a range of generic medical skills including teamworking and communication as well as well as evidence of competence in the general practice of orthopaedic and trauma surgery. By the time they acquire the CCT they may already have developed a special interest in one of the above named areas. 

The curriculum for T&O training is modular with the trainee rotating through a series of attachments aimed at providing a comprehensive appreciation of the range of disorders likely to present in his or her later professional life. 

Further information on T&O training is available from the JCST website. 

  

  

Training Programme Director 

Mr Andrew Tasker, Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedics Surgeon in Great Western Hospital, Swindon  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This page was last updated March 25th 2024 (8 months ago)